Jim Gray on Gun Control

2004 former Libertarian challenger for Senate (CA)

Ban gun purchases by people on FBI terrorist watch list

Waving a newspaper story about last weekend's shooting rampage in Orlando that killed 49 people, Jim Gray criticized Sen. Rand Paul for opposing a bill that would ban gun purchases by people on the FBI's terrorist watch list. "How many headlines like
this do we need to see before Congress does something?" asked Gray. "Senator Paul voted to let potential terrorists buy guns. He chose to protect the rights of radical Islam over the safety of innocent Americans. What was Rand Paul thinking?
Where is his common sense? Where's the backbone?"

In December, the day after an extremist couple shot and killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Paul voted against a Democrat-backed bill that would have blocked the sale of guns through licensed firearms
dealers to roughly 10,000 Americans whose names are reported to be on the secret watch list, indicating that federal law-enforcement officials suspect them of possible terrorist activity. The legislation failed by a 54-to-45 vote.

Ok to delay gun sales for 72 hours, but no secret lists

Jim Gray criticized Sen. Rand Paul for opposing a bill that would ban gun purchases by people on the FBI's terrorist watch list. In December, the day after an extremist couple shot and killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Paul voted against a
Democrat-backed bill that would have blocked the sale of guns through licensed firearms dealers to roughly 10,000 Americans whose names are reported to be on the secret watch list, indicating that federal law-enforcement officials suspect them
of possible terrorist activity. The legislation failed by a 54-to-45 vote.

Responding to Gray's criticism, Paul said he voted for an alternative bill last December, one backed by Republicans, to let federal law-enforcement officials delay gun sales to
suspected terrorists for up to 72 hours. "The legislation I supported prevented the Obama administration from drawing up a secret list of Americans who, through no judicial process, are stripped of their rights," Paul said.